Posted 3 years ago on Feb. 5, 2013, 3:23 a.m. EST by TrevorMnemonic
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This content is user submitted and not an official statement

Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones.

The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature.

The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights.

43 Comments

'Before the 1980s homelessness existed largely as an occasional occurrence of bad luck for a family, perhaps a mother who needed a few days to find a job. Then President Reagan redirected blame for indigence to the poor themselves, and market-driven policies took over. Since 1980 the number of homeless people has doubled or tripled every decade. Up to 3.5 million people—one out of every hundred Americans—experience homelessness at some time during an average year. But a survey of the fifty largest U.S. cities determined that almost none of them has sufficient shelter beds for homeless residents.'

'The federal housing budget has dropped from $86 billion in 1976 to $45 billion in 2013. This has occurred despite a study that revealed the cost of supportive housing as less than half the cost of prison accommodations. In Los Angeles, a UCLA study found that more was spent on skid row policing than on homeless shelters.'

Albert Einstein is renowned and revered as an exemplar of scientific rationality. I think we should carefully consider what he has to say about Socialism. So here is this essential link once again- http://monthlyreview.org/2009/05/01/why-socialism/ If you do not like ''Socialism'' due to years of prejudicial propaganda and 'PR' - ask yourself where 'Anti-socialism' has actually got us all now?

I think OWS needs to really focus on what it wants to demonstrate during an occupy event in order to lead the country through positive action in a new direction. For example, I was inspired to see their response to the fire dept pulling their gas generator as a fire hazard. They brought in a bicycle and started cranking out watts to run their phones and laptops. That was TOO COOL. They beat the tired old unsustainable polluting bs system with a new paradigm!

In the same way, there are many other things that can be demonstrated. The Library was also cool! Feeding 1500 meals a day and running a kitchen 18hrs a day with donations was also cool! Also the human microphone when they forbade amplification. The street theater. All that made it cool. Having young women made it more legit as well.

They should add some more things for their next occupy event, like dry compost septic system. Composting their kitchen scraps with a mobile portable compost pile. Shit like that.

OWS needs to visit schools and pass out info about the website and maybe have a more organize site in terms of issues. I havent explored it yet really. Also run banner ads. You got the attention in the first media splash but that needs to be maintained with regular ads on MSN, Yahoo, Google, Youtube etc. to maintain the momentum. Whatever money comes in would do well to go for promotions like that.

"American Autumn - An Occudoc" ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wulAQW5VkcI - and that's "Why Socialism" imho !! Thanx for posting that great article from someone who knew a thing or two about love, light and logic !!!

Thanks for the goods words! I just finished reading Empire of Illusion and Hedges shared this awesome quote from Einstein in the book. It was a great book because it tackles the issues of what causes people to put faith in a corruptions society and blindly indulge in the illusion of the current America. From objectivity and spectacle in the news to explaining the commodity culture referencing pornography as one of its worst forms. The final chapter is truly brilliant. His analysis on the abuse of war is incredible and sadly true.

As usual you share great links. I will have to check out that doc when I'm off work tonight.

where I just noted that you and I seem to go waay back ! Solidarity in all your doings Trev !! Occupy Wall Street - 'cause The Parasites have been 'occupying' the rest of us for long enough !!! Also see :

"Coalitions of environmental, anti-nuclear, anti-capitalist, sustainable-agriculture and anti-globalization forces have coalesced in Europe to form and support socialist parties. This has yet to happen in the United States. The left never rallied in significant numbers behind Cynthia McKinney or Ralph Nader. In picking the lesser of two evils, it threw its lot in with a Democratic Party that backs our imperial wars, empowers the national security state and does the bidding of corporations.

"If Barack Obama does not end the flagrant theft of taxpayer funds by corporate slugs and the disgraceful abandonment of our working class, especially as foreclosures and unemployment mount, many in the country will turn in desperation to the far right embodied by groups such as Christian radicals. The failure by the left to offer a democratic socialist alternative will mean there will be, in the eyes of many embittered and struggling working- and middle-class Americans, no alternative but a perverted Christian fascism. The inability to articulate a viable socialism has been our gravest mistake. It will ensure, if this does not soon change, a ruthless totalitarian capitalism."

"But if socialism means the US would go down the path of being more generous with our babies, our children, our working families, our pregnant mothers, and our sisters and brothers across the world, I think we could all appreciate it."

"Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy were not socialists. But the nation benefited from their borrowing of socialist and social democratic ideas. Barack Obama is certainly not a socialist. But he, and the nation he leads, would be well served by a similar borrowing from the people who once imagined Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the War on Poverty." & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rT1NYCWqEk :-)

“The top 14 people in America, between 2013 and 2015, saw a $157 billion increase in their wealth. That’s more wealth in a two-year period than what the bottom 40 percent of American people have. Is this what the people want, or is this economy rigged completely in favor of the wealthy?"

A Two Party State is just one (illusory?) step from a One Party State & tho' we support Bernie for 2016, we do not do so blindly as we aren't inclined to believe in panaceas from single individuals but aspire to The 99% Movement that OWS is such an important part of. As such, fyi - and with no reply necessary:

they definitely control the main forms of media. Look at all the people that still come here and flood 2 party system propaganda. The people that push the blame Nader theory. Those that still idolize Clinton. Those that push NRA talking points etc etc. There is still a lot of it.

The internet does help break the mold, but as the MAJORITY goes, they are still very much in control. The majority do not come to OWS. The majority still get their information from corporate sources, even corporate sources online.

I wonder if "the majority whom do not come to OWS" and whom still get their information from corporate sources know more and focus on being successful instead of waisting time texting, tweeting, or facebooking.

focus on being successful? And whats that? Running like a freak in a broken system?

Self governance is work. Its not a hand out. Its not something that just takes care of itself. It takes work. Facebooking is not work. And the masses DEFINITELY facebook the most. "I just had a great dinner tonight at McDonalds!!" No one cares. Get a life, right?

The masses are the middle class who, despite their hard work and efforts, have seen their wages stagnate for the past 30 years.

30 years of middle class wage stagnation and extreme levels of wealth and income inequality, is not the result of people lacking goals or lack of 'effort'. It's the result of bad economic policies and concentrated wealth driving economic and fiscal decisions for the benefit of a few at the expense of the many.

Well my wages always went up as my job skills improved - never had a problem making a decent wage over the years - Sitting at a desk day after day or working for someone doing the same thing over and over again for 20 years isn't going to improve someones wages.

I don't even know where to begin. You're comment is utterly stupifying.

Your personal circumstances are irrelevant. You are not the macro economy. It's not about 'you'. You are completely missing the entire point because you are focused on yourself. Narcissitic. Egotistical. Narrow self-absorbed selfish self-interest. You have the mentality of
a 2 year old. Your attitude is ultimately self-defeating and dangerous.

Because no matter your personal circumstances, you happen to be a part of this society. The circumstances of society and the overall health of the macro level economy ultimately impacts you as well.

30 years of middle class wage stagnation is not healthy for the economy or society. Proof of this is self-evident.

30 years of middle class wage stagnation is not normal. It's never happened. Until the right wing began instituting neoliberal economic policies in the 80's.

During our period of greatest prosperity, the wealth and incomes of the middle class grew at about the same pace as higher incomes. The government invested in huge domestic projects, the interstate highway system, expanding utilities, sending men to the moon. That was the period of our greatest prosperity. The government invested in the country. Tax rates were very progressive. Top tax rates were 90%. And everyone prospered.

The extreme levels of wealth disparity is not normal. The level of wealth disparity today has not been seen in over 100 years since the Gilded Age. This has only occurred as the result of right wing neoliberal economic policies. It's fucked up policy.

The nature and definition of capitalism is wealth accumulation. It's only through the proper economic and fiscal policies where those natural tendencies are controlled, rather than allow them to take their inevitable course, does capitalism work. ie: progressive taxation, breaking up monopolies.

Wealth accumulates naturally. Supply side economic policies, which the right wing has pushed the past thirty years, has accellerated and exasperated the natural course of wealth accumulation. To the detriment of the middle class. If the wealthy continue to amass more wealth, at the expense of the middle class, who's gonna buy all their shit?

That's the problem. You don't continue to use supply side solutions for a demand side problem.

For the love of God. Try to get a fucking clue. It's not that difficult to understand.

You are confusing having no money vs creating a race to material fulfillment .
I have hear from many successful people to not spend my whole life chasing dollars, that there is much more to life than that.

Taking some time out of the week to participate in the Republic is a good start.